[Lovely]

Italians know comfort food. Simple pasta and sautéed chicken become a meal when they're dressed with a richly flavored tomato sauce or alfredo. What's the secret to enjoying home-cooked Italian favorites in just minutes? Leave the slow simmering and flavor tinkering to the sauce experts and embellish the dish with fresh ingredients from your own kitchen.



Share here Italian recipes that will help us create delicious, satisfying dinners with minimal fuss!

[Mary]

Looks delicious! who knows what is it and??? Tell please the recipe...

[Amelia]

It is Bruschetta

A great addition to any party menu. Feel free to substitute any toppings you like. The possible combinations are endless.



Ingredients

* 2 loaf(s) Italian or French bread, diagonally cut into 3/4-inch slices
* 2 clove(s) (large) garlic
* 1/3 cup(s) extra virgin olive oil
* 1 jar(s) Bertolli® Tomato & Basil Sauce
* See below for suggested bruschetta toppings

Directions

1. Broil bread slices until golden in preheated oven; rub with garlic, then brush with olive oil. Evenly spoon unheated sauce over bread, then top with your favorite bruschetta toppings and enjoy!
2. Here are a few suggestions for bruschetta toppings, or create your own:

Sliced fresh mozzarella with chopped fresh basil
Sautéed sliced portobello mushrooms and fresh basil
Sliced fresh mozzarella with prosciutto and fresh basil
Sliced cooked chicken and feta cheese, olives, and fresh thyme
Sliced fresh mozzarella with sliced or chopped roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes and chopped fresh basil

Per serving this recipe contains: Vitamin A 6%, Vitamin C 2%, Iron 6%

[Amelia]

Lasagna

A classic dish to warm up a chilly crowd.



Ingredients

* 2 container(s) (15-ounce) ricotta cheese
* 1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
* 2 jar(s) Bertolli® Tomato & Basil Sauce
* 12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
* 8 ounce(s) fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
* Fresh basil leaves, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper; set aside.
2. Spread 1 cup sauce in 13" x 9" baking dish. Layer 4 lasagna noodles, then 1 cup sauce and 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese; repeat. Top with remaining 4 noodles, then 1 cup sauce and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour. Remove foil and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired, with fresh basil leaves. Serve with remaining sauce, heated.

[Lovely]

Pasta & Bean Soup

Using basic canned goods and a few other staples, you can make this comforting soup in just minutes. The trick to achieving a full-bodied homemade flavor from canned chicken broth is to freshen it up with a handful of herbs, some garlic cloves and crushed red pepper. For a meatier flavor, add a little crumbled cooked Italian turkey sausage to the soup.
Ingredients:

* 4 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
* 4 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 tablespoon dried
* 1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 1 15-1/2-ounce or 19-ounce can cannellini, (white kidney) beans, rinsed, divided
* 1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
* 1 cup medium pasta shells, or orecchiette
* 2 cups individually quick-frozen spinach, (6 ounces) (see Ingredient note)
* 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, (optional)
* 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Combine broth, garlic, rosemary and crushed red pepper in a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot; bring to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes to intensify flavor. Meanwhile, mash 1 cup beans in a small bowl.
2. Scoop garlic cloves and rosemary from the broth with a slotted spoon (or pass the soup through a strainer and return to the pot). Add mashed and whole beans to the broth, along with tomatoes; return to a simmer. Stir in pasta, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Stir in spinach, cover and cook just until the spinach has thawed, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with a drizzle of oil, if desired, and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Variation: Substitute chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for the cannellini beans; use a food processor to puree them.

Tip:
Ingredient Note: Individually quick-frozen (IQF) spinach is sold in convenient plastic bags. If you have a 10-ounce box of spinach on hand, use just over half of it and cook according to package directions before adding to the soup in Step 3.